ABT 1510 - BEF 16 OCT 1556

The Will of Michael Cooper of Henlow dated 2 July 1556, proved 16October 1556

"In the name of God Amen. The Seconde daye of Julye in the yere ofour lorde
god a Thousande fyve hundreth fiftie and sixe. I Mechell Cowper ofhelowe wt
in the countie of Bedford youman hole of mynd and in good memorie makethis my
present Testament and Last will in maner and forme followinge. first Ibequeathe my soule unto Almightie god and unto the hollye companye ofheaven and my bodie to be buried within ye pishe Churcheyard of henloeafordsed. Item I give unto the mother churhce in lincoln iiijd Item Igive unto the high Aulter in helowe xijd. Item I give unto therepacont of henlowe church fortie pence. Item I give unto John Cowpermyn eldest sonne all tlhe freelande that I boutht of my bortherwillyam Cowper in Arlessey. Also I give unto said John all my houseand Land lying in Arlessey that I bought of one Jesper Smythe. Also Igive unto the said John all my closses pasture and other land that Ihave by lease from Mr Prisse called John & Aynye;. Also I givbe untothe said John my lease of Entensburye that I have of one Mr Stanfeldand sylver brode cowpe. Item I will that said John shal enter andgaine all the said Lands and goods Immediately after my decease tofine hem to Scoolle. Item I give unto Edmund my Sonne my houst wtthappurtennce that I dwell in and all my freelande that I ahve inhenlowe to have to hym his heires and assignes forever. Also I giveunto the said Edmnde my copie that Joyneth to my said howse and alsoan other Copie called Shelles and my lease that I holde of mr Pygot.Item I give to said Edmund two silver spones Tenne besse [?] Sixegeldings tow shoed Cartes all my plowes and all my Carte gere and Plowgere and all that longeth therto. Item I will that Elizabeth my wifeshall have all the saide lande and other goods Cattal and chings thatI have bequeathed unto the sed Edmund for the space of six yeres nextaftwr my decease and then the other assignes shall leve it to my saidsone Edmunde in so good case in all thines as it is at the daye of mydeathe and also shall leve the said grounde sufficiently sown and thetilthe redye made and the heye redye made or growing upon the grounein so good casse as it is a the said daie of my deathe and the saidsixe yeres shall ende the same daye said daie of my deathe and thesaid sixe yers shall ende the same daye sixe yeares of that my lastwill And also I will my said wief shall kepe all the paracontsufficiently of all the said howses during the said terme; Item i giveto Olyver my sonne one pece of ground in Arlessey called Resewike tohave to hym and to his heires forever. Item I give unto the saidOlyver a copiehold grounde lying inn helowe called lytell Edwards ItemI give unto the said Olyver apott covered with silver and gilt. Item Igive unto George my
sonne a copie called Abdeles and tenne pounds in redie money to haveit when he cometh to the age of twenty yeres. Item I give to Richardmy sonne twentie poundes in redye money to have yt when he cometh tothage of twentie yeres and yf any of them do dye before the said ageof twentie yere that then I will that his or their parte that so dothedye be equally divided amongst them that do durvive or lyve. Item Igive unto Agnes my doughter Twentie pounds in redie money. Item I giveunto Judith my doughtyer twentie pounds in redie money and I will thatsaid money be paid unto them at the daie of their marriage or els yfthey do not marrye to be paid to them at thage of xxiij years old andlyf any of them do separte the worlde before they be maried or beforethey come to the age of xxiij yeres that then I will the portion ofher that so dothe dye to remayne to her that so dothe survyve or lyveand if the doo bothe dye before they be married or come to the saidage of xxiij yeres then I will the said money to remayne and bedistributed among my said sonnes. Item I give unto Elizabeth my wiefmy lease called muchcroft and pond mede and may copie that I hold ofthe lordship of Shytington and apece of free grounde that I hold ofthe lorde Gray of wylton to have to her for term of her lief and aftwrher decease to remayne to John my sonne. And to the parfourcmance ofthis my said Last will and testament I make Elizabeth my said wief andmy brother in lawe Willyam Papworte my Executours and John page gentOverseer ths being witnesses James Turner vicar of henloe RichardEmerie Thomas Undewood Henry Edwards & other more.

Abstract of charter to purchase of le Rosewyke by Michael Cooper andothers from William Abbott, 1509:
"William Abbott of Woborne Chapell, co Bedf., conveys to Will. Loringof Arlechehey, Nich. Wylbon and Michael Cooper, both of the same, oneclose called le Rosewyke, in A. wheich he had of the feoffment ofHenry Abbott of Husburne Crawley yet living. Witn. John Clyfton, JohnSmyth, tayollr, Will. Baldoke, all of A. and others. Dated at A. 10Oct 1 Hen VIII (1509). Seal Defaced

Abstract of quit claim charter of Thomas Cooper to his brother MichaelCooper of Arlesey, 1514:
"Thomas Cooper of Arlesey yeman, son and heir of John lately deceased,quitclaims to Michael his brother, the second son of John, all claimin the lands called Hoyes mese in A. in which Thomas then lived. Datedat A. 3 oct 6 Hen VIII (1514). Signed "p" me Thomas Cowp'. Seal Broken

Charter of purchase of le Rosewyke, John Lorynge to Michael Cowper1552/3: "John Lorynge of Allrychesey, husbandman, son and heir ofWilliam L. of A., yoman, deceased, conveys to Michael lCowper ofHenlowe, co Bedf., Yoman, a close called le Rosewyke in the fields ofA which his fatehr held conjointly with Nicholas WQylbon and Mich.Cowper, father of the aforesatid Michael, of the gift os Will. Abbotteof Woborne, chaplain, as appeared by the charter 10 oct 1 Hewn VII(1509). Also a croft in A. lying betw. the land of the rectory oflShyltington both on the east and west, and abutting on the land ofRob. Tanfelde to the north, and on the common way leading from BAldockto Shefforde on the south, which one Thomas Lorynge, grandfather ofthe afosaid John L., cojointly with John Bonde and Will. Hamonde hadof the gift of John Hoye of A. yoman, by charter dated 4 Oct 21 Edw II(1347). Dated at A. 16 Feb 7 Edw VI (1552/3). The seal hardly deservesthe name; yoemen at this date no longer encourging this branch of thearts: impression is merely three lines thus IX. The deed endorsed :"The dede of Lee Roswicke and the Rofte of pightell' called Loryngspightell;"

Charter of Purchase of Poyntelles by Michael Cooper from Jasper Smyth1566 "Jasper Smyth" of Hitchyn, co. Hertf. gen for 45 l. paid in handand 40 l. to be paid at feast of all souls next ensuing, sells toMichael Cowper of Arlesey, gen. the mess. called poynttelles in A.betw. the land of Tho. Hemmyng, esq. on both parts, and latelybelonging to the monastery of Waltham, and abutting on the commonfield towards the easd, which had descended to him by inheritance onthe death of his father John S. and was formerly the property of hisgrandfather (avii) John S. Dat. ap. A. 19 Apr 2&3 Ph. et M. (1556)signed "by me Jesper Smyth". (Small seal, an antique gem of Jupiterand Leda).

Charter Sale of le Rosewyke and Poyntelles by John Cooper to JohnLuke, 1565: "John Cowper of Henlowe, co Bedf. Son and heir of MichaelCowper, late of Alrychesey al. Arlesey, gent., no dead, in completionof indentures of bargain and sale betw. J. C. And John Luke of Copull,esp dated 15 Jul (two days before), gives to J. L. his messuage calledpoyntelles with twenty-eight acr of arable in A. which his fatherMichael bought of Jasper Smyth of Hytchyn, co Hertf. gent., by dead of19 Apr 2 & # Ph. and M (1556). Signed per me Johanne Cowperu". (Asmall seal of a head from a ring without inscription. this is endorsedwith a memoradum of the delivery of possessiona and seisin bearing thesame date.)

Charter from John Travell to Richard Emery, 1569, which mentionsJasper Smyth, gent. as holder in right of his wife Elizabeth.:"Conveys half an acre in the North field of Alrychesey on the culturethere called Lymershylle hole, betw. the land of John Baldock, sen. onthe east and that of Michael Baldock, Jun. on the west and south, theend abutting on the land of Jasper Smythe, gent. in lthe right ofElizabeth his wife. Dat 1 Apr 11 Eliz (1569). Sealed and delivered inthe presence of John Bennett, Jasper Emery, and George Birchall (seallost).

[8695]
All data from Lewis. From Robert Leigh Ward, The Baronial Ancestry ofHenry Sampson, Humility Cooper, and Ann (Cooper) Tilley, TheGenealogist v6n1 p 166 "New light has now been shed on the parentageof Humility Cooper by the discovery of the adult baptism of Humility,daughter of Robert Cooper on 17 March 1638/9 in the parish of HolyTrinity, Minories at the edge of the city of London. The entry statesthat she was born in Holland and was aged 19 years.

This seems to fit the Mayflower passenger and the Cooper sisters didhave a brother Robert who married Joan Gresham at Henlow on 21 June1614. If this was the correct set of parents, she was little morethan an infant when she arrived at Plymouth, and possibly was orphanedin Holland, which would explain her presence in the family of Edwardand Ann (Cooper) Tilly.